begrudge
Americanverb (used with object)
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to envy or resent the pleasure or good fortune of (someone).
She begrudged her friend the award.
-
to be reluctant to give, grant, or allow.
She did not begrudge the money spent on her children's education.
verb
-
to give, admit, or allow unwillingly or with a bad grace
-
to envy (someone) the possession of (something)
Related Words
See envy.
Other Word Forms
- begrudgingly adverb
- unbegrudged adjective
Etymology
Origin of begrudge
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bigrucchen; be-, grudge
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
No one — not your brother, who relies on you, nor your parents, who are long gone — should or, I hope, would begrudge you the time for your own passions and pursuits.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026
And who could begrudge the two sisters their happily-ever-after?
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025
I begrudge no one the desire to reboot a groundbreaking series, and two years ago, the prospect of seeing these iconic 30-somethings as mid-to-late 50-somethings was certainly appealing to one who shares their mature demographic.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2025
The cops last night were like, “We don’t begrudge you for saying ‘manifesto.’
From Slate • Jun. 17, 2025
She could not begrudge him his industrious amazement.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
